Last Updated on 17 March 2024
I searched the Internet for lists of the best sci-fi shows of all time. Criteria included the shows being ranked, not just listed; covering all time, not just a decade; and generally created by groups, whether teams or committees or based on general public voting (like Ranker.com).
I was able to find 26 lists. I took the 26 lists and added all their content into a spreadsheet, noting the rank of every show. I ended up averaging the rankings each one got (there were 244 that were on at least 2 lists) and dividing that average by a factor of the number of lists that show was on. The lowest score meant a high ranking average on many lists. The complete spreadsheet is attached at the bottom.
The shows that were on the most lists (out of 26) were:
- Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009) – 25 lists
- Doctor Who (1963-present) – 25 lists
- The X-Files (1993-2002, 2016-2018) – 23 lists
- The Twilight Zone (1959-1964) – 22 lists
- Firefly (2002-2003) – 22 lists
- Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994) – 21 lists
- Star Trek (1966-1969) – 21 lists
- Black Mirror (2011-present) – 19 lists
- Stranger Things (2016-present) – 19 lists
- Westworld (2016-present) – 19 lists
Here are links to the lists I used along with dates the lists were created:
- IMDb – 16 Mar 2024
- Men’s Health – 14 Mar 2024
- Ranker: Best – 7 Mar 2024
- TV Insider – 1 Mar 2024
- CBR – 12 Feb 2024
- Ranker: Most Exciting – 23 Jan 2024
- MovieWeb – 28 Aug 2023
- Buddy TV – 8 Aug 2023
- Popcorn Cinema Show – 30 Jul 2023
- ShortList – 7 May 2023
- Geekspin – 19 Apr 2023
- Looper – 29 Aug 2022
- Space.com – 9 Aug 2022
- TheCinemaholic – 4 Jul 2022
- Gizmodo Australia – 28 Jun 2022
- Mashable India – 24 May 2022
- Stacker – 10 Mar 2021
- Rolling Stone – 12 Mar 2020
- Popular Mechanics – 12 Jul 2019
- Paste Magazine – 11 Sep 2018
- Rotten Tomatoes – 4 Jun 2018
- TV Guide – 20 Sep 2013
- IGN – 21 Feb 2011
- Metacritic – no date
- Sci-Fi Lists – no date
- The Top Tens – no date